Life is Better at the Beach

This week's Project Quilting challenge was Vacation. My first thought when seeing that was the beach. Of course it took me until Friday to get started. And I started with 4.5" squares and quickly realized I would never finish on time. I switched to 2.5" squares and came up wIth this sweet baby quilt.

I love the scrappy mixed up background and anchor. I'm looking forward to getting back to the bigger one once some other projects are done.

Life is Better at the Beach
34" x 38"
Made in my home in Lanoka Harbor,  NJ

Tangled Thread - Project Quilting Challenge 3

Last night I finished up my Project Quilring Challenge 3 season 7 quilt. This week we were inspired by thread. All I could think about when I thought thread was a dropped bobbin box from last week. I had dropped one of my boxes, of course not the one that really holds the bobbin, but the old one and they were a mess. 

I took that idea and went with. Whole cloth mini quilt this week. I pulled from my stash of 12 weight Aurifil and pearl cotton and started stitching away. I started with a few circles and then added some random lines around them going here and there. 

This was a fun mini to make. I felt absolutely no pressure to make in any specific way and that was totally freeing. 

Tangled Threads

20" x 20"

Aurifil and Pearl Cotton on Kona white 

Pellon Corton Batting 

Made in Lanoka Harbor, NJ

Of course I had a helper when photographing my quilt. She seriously thinks all quilts are hers right now haha. 

Project Quilting Season 7 Challenge 2

It's challenge 2 of season 7 of Project Quilting. This weeks challenge is Seasons. I wasn't sure what to make then,while looking through some pictures, I was reminded of a birch tree quilt I made in the summer. I decided that was how I was going to roll with this challenge. 

I dug out my scraps from the past birch tree quilt and set to work. 

I represented each season; summer, fall, winter, and spring. 

Each season is quilted wih different designs being leaves, loopy snowflakes, flowers, and waves for the different seasons. The birch trees have a simple squiggle to mimic the bark. 

Birch Trees Through the Seasons

22" x 19.5"

Made in super snowy Lanoka Harbor, NJ 

My snow puppy Maggie helped when taking pictures of the quilt. 

Confetti and Streamers

Another year of Project Quilting has started. I always look forward to January for the new season. It jump starts my year of quilting.

Season seven is starting with a celebration. Confetti was our challenge inspiration. I jumped right in with batik 2.5" squares for my confetti and some strips to add in streamers. 

I did a free motion meander over the center where the squares are and a squiggle along the streamer border.  

It's backed with a coral color sid that lets the quilting stand out. 

There are a few half square triangles mixed in for fun too. 

I love how colorful the quilt turned out. I just kept pulling fromy batik scrap stash for this quilt. 

So excited for another year of Project Quilting. 

Confetti and Streamers 

44" x 54"

Batik scraps. 

Maggie wanted my attention when I was taking pictures. She makes me smile. 

Summer Garden Bounty

Day 3 pf the 31 day blogging challenge.  

I was going through my phone and came across these photos from the summer.  I love having a garden right in my backyard.  It isn't large by any means, but just right to get some great veggies.  We grow all kinds of tomatoes, including my favorite yummy yellow ones.  When I don't use them up I tend to freeze them until I can can them, or until I use them. When they thaw just a little the skin peels right off.  

My cucumber plants did very well this summer, too.  They seemed to start late, but once they did it was nonstop through the entire summer.  I made two batches of pickles, one made 9 pints and the other was 8 pints and 3 half pints.  

I use a recipe from my "Make Your Own Groceries" cookbook by Daphne Hartwig to make them.  I also use a recipe from that book for my pickled green tomatoes.  One thing I add to my cucumbers and tomatoes is a hot pepper, love the spicy kick it gives.  Oh and a bit of celery is super yummy pickled.  

Just tonight I opened a jar of pickles, so yummy!  I am happy to have my garden grown veggies available all year long in my home.  

Simple Purple Baby Quilt

Day 2 of the 31 day blog challenge. Today I have decided to share a baby quilt that I was asked to create by my sister. She always comes to me when she needs a baby gift for a friend or coworker. Because of her work travels, my baby quilts are all over the world and that makes me smile.

This baby quilt I decided to keep simple. Sometimes, simplicity works best for these little quilts. I pulled from my stash of purples and cut them into 3.5" squares. I alternated the purples with a creamy print. 

I also decided to do nice straight line quilting to emphasize the blocks.  The backing is a simple print with little birds   

This baby quilt was very happily received by the family. Hope their little one enjoys it. 

While I was photographing the quilt my helper puppy was playing in the leaves. 

The 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge

So I have decided to join in on the 31 day blog writing challenge this month hosted by Cheryl Sleboda at muppin.com (link to blog challenge).  Lately I have been kinda neglecting my blog since my computer took a dump back in August.  I did buy a mini tablet, but that was still not as nice as having a laptop to type on.

Since I have awesome family, my parents actually gave me my Christmas gift early and I am typing on it now.  Yay for my new HP laptop.  

So in this challenge I figure it will give me a chance to catch up on posting a lot of the quilts that I created in the time that I was minus a computer.  

Anyone can join in, too.  :)